Was booked for removal of lymph nodes tomorrow been cancelled as there test said I have COVID done my own test all negative, trying to get hold to find out how long till I have operation. How long is safe to leave till operation, really worried
Was booked for removal of lymph nodes tomorrow been cancelled as there test said I have COVID done my own test all negative, trying to get hold to find out how long till I have operation. How long is safe to leave till operation, really worried
Hi Shel
Thanks for getting in touch. Welcome to the online community.
My name is Paula and I am one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.
I’m sorry to hear about your positive COVID test result and delay it has caused to your current treatment plan. I can appreciate your concerns and it’s understandable how worrying this must be for you and the uncertainty this result brings.
There are different types of COVID test currently available. The lateral flow test (self- test|) is a quick test for people who have no symptoms to check if they have the virus without realising it.
If you get a negative test result with a self-test, it means the test has not been able to detect COVID in your sample. However, you may still be positive or asymptomatic despite having no current symptoms. They are a quick test but not always accurate.
The COVID test used by your hospital trust is a PCR which is sent to the laboratory to be analysed further. The team in the lab can sequence your test to pick up variants of concern. This test can detect the virus a lot earlier than the lateral flow test.
Both the NHS and hospital trusts have strict infection control policies. If an increased risk such as COVID is identified, they would have to act and inform you of any changes to your planned treatment and care.
The risk to each person is different depending on several factors including age, medical conditions etc. Your team will have taken this into account and weighed up the risks and benefit to you.
Your safety is important to your hospital trust. If your positive for COVID and not yet developed symptoms you could become unwell and it could possibly cause complications and a delayed discharge.
According to current guidelines from the Centre of Perioperative Care, they recommend a 7 week delay for asymptomatic patients. However, this time frame could vary and be less than the current guidelines. Each hospital trust has their own COVID guidelines and policies on patients’ delayed treatment management. It might be helpful to contact your CNS/team to discuss how long your planned treatment will be delayed for.
Its important to continue isolating and follow your local hospital trust policies and guidelines to prevent any further delays
I hope this information has been helpful, but if you need further support please don’t hesitate to get back in touch.
Ref/HM
